A House of Delegates vote on a bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound test before having an abortion was delayed until tomorrow after a short, contentious debate this afternoon.

The move came as a public outcry to bills restricting abortion has prompted some lawmakers to hint they may soften the ultrasound bills.

Two legislators — one a conservative Republican — speaking today on the condition of anonymity said one idea officials have discussed is making the ultrasound legislation optional rather than mandatory.

Other options are to pass the bills by or park them in committee. Either of those moves could effectively shelve the legislation for the year.

The House also delayed the vote for another measure that hasn’t gotten the same attention as the slut-shaming legislation, but is at least as offensive and backward: a Republican bill that would allow adoption agencies to discriminate against gay parents.

Maddowblog has an update on the situation from Democratic delegate David Englin:

Quick update on Va. GOP’s vaginal penetration ultrasound mandate: The Senate version of the bill (Senate Bill 484) was scheduled for debate and final vote today, but House Republicans again made a motion to push off the debate and vote by another day. The same happened for Senate Bill 349, the so-called “conscience clause” bill that allows state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against GLBT families and youth.

House Democrats then attempted a parliamentary maneuver that would have killed the ultrasound bill forever, but that failed on a party-line vote. Therefore, both bills are now scheduled for debate and vote tomorrow.

Virginia Republicans are suddenly running scared of their own social agenda!

Based upon views of PilotOnline and other boards, my guess is that delegates are getting an earful from female constituents on this. They likely expected that the bill would go with little comment until it was already on McDonnell's desk, letting them pass the buck to him.

Two legislators — one a conservative Republican — speaking today on the condition of anonymity said one idea officials have discussed is making the ultrasound legislation optional rather than mandatory.

The House also delayed the vote for another measure that hasn’t gotten the same attention as the slut-shaming legislation, but is at least as offensive and backward: a Republican bill that would allow adoption agencies to discriminate against gay parents.

I want to make the point again, that this kind of legislation designed to assuage the feelings of religious bigots is damaging not just to gay couples, but to the children who are wards of the State of Virginia waiting to be adopted and have parents. Laws like this consign a great many of them to a childhood spent in foster care.
(Because the people in favor of laws like this don't want to adopt those waiting children, they just don't want gays to be allowed to do it).

Yeah, they're going to make something that's already optional optional. It is to laugh.

But the Republicans will never go for that. Making it mandatory is the whole point of slut-shaming.

Exactly. If they make it optional, then the bill will be DOA. No Democrat will vote for it and only a few braindead Republicans looking to pad their "pro-life" credentials will, while the hardcore Bible-thumpers of the party will disown it immediately.

No, they'll keep it mandatory and try to move Heaven and Earth to make it seem a "good idea" to female voters. If they fail at that, they'll find a way to let it quietly die, hoping that voters forget about it by November.

I did somewhat mean my comment in that sort of jest, but if you think about it for a second, that's actually the direction the discourse in this country is taking. Terrifyingly enough, we could be seeing a full-scale American Inquisition if some of these nutjobs get their way.

Saw earlier the reason it has been a silent protest is because VA has made it illegal to hold signs or hold rallies at the capital.

Way to go, you defenders of liberties!

It's to prevent terrorist acts! Probably something stupid like that. Or at least worded as such. Then you get the goons that will say something like "signs aren't protected by the Constitution!" No doubt you can probably being your gun(s) instead.

The Heartland Institute is gleefully celebrating Peter Gleick's admission that he's the whistle-blower who leaked their documents (now confirmed to be genuine, except for one which has not yet been confirmed or refuted).

The Heartland Institute is gleefully celebrating Peter Gleick's admission that he's the whistle-blower who leaked their documents (now confirmed to be genuine, except for one which has not yet been confirmed or refuted).

LOL. Oh yes lets find the criminals that exposed the ugly truth. This is legit whistle blowing. Far from the approach of say Wikileaks. And far less threatening than what Anon does. Whistleblowers often pay a high price. It's a shame he had to resign, if that's even true.

Romney now show as being statistically tied with Santorum in Arizona, 36%-32%, with a debate tomorrow night. If Romney doesn't come out of that looking like the second-coming of Ronald Reagan, then next Tuesday's gonna be mighty interestin'.

Last year, it was much more welcoming, and the officers didn't allow this sort of trouble, or for people to be neglected (like me, and 2 others who are also in my boat). And now, they seem to be allowing racism to run free.

If you're uncomfortable then stop being with these people. End your association and leave it at that. Maybe the others who feel they don't fit would be interested in forming social connections with you if you have any common interests. Don't overcomplicate it. (all this is my opinion of course,take it for what it's worth)

Money. They don't give a crap really. They'll probably wind up facing some kind of civil suit in the future however. Perhaps the same things that Facebook encountered.

In a way it's a throwback, reflecting a 90's view of the internet, where commercial activity was heavily frowned upon by many and cyberspace was seen as a new wild west. It's really odd though, hypothetically if one were to offer to sell guns on Twitter, face to face with no paperwork or FFL transfer, their account would get banned for spam, not violating federal law.

re: #55 goddamnedfrank
To Pro Life Liberal:
I agree with frank,you're about to graduate college. You have Asperger's,do you realize how fortunate you are to be that far along and to have this opportunity? You should be excited about your future and where you're going with that education. Count your blessings dude,seriously.

I would give anything for a college education for me or my kid. My son has AS too,but his grades and an inability to do well on tests means college is out of the question. As it is he will barely make it through high school. We have no money for schooling here,we're hanging on financially,just barely. I always wanted to go to art school or to get a degree in some botany related field. I gave up that dream to be a full time mom. I don't regret it,but I sure wish I could have gone to school too. It just wasn't possible.

There will ALWAYS be people around you who are asshats,break the rules and are just jerks,forget about them. People like that end up hanging themselves eventually,they don't need you to be the police,they will get theirs eventually. Focus on YOUR future,you won't be sorry.

As important as it is to stop these kinds of bills from passing, it's equally important to never forget that the GOP tried to pass these bills. Americans and their ability to forget how the GOP behaves when they are in power has got to stop. Moderates and so-called independents are as responsible for this crap as the crazy right wingers are. They went for the okie-doke about the GOP being focused on fiscal responsibility and leaving the social stuff alone. They lied. Fool me once..............................

They will eventually get in trouble then, and be forced to reform. I still have one or two others who had their own issues.

Here's the thing, workplace politics is going to be a total bitch for you unless you learn to adapt to the situations you find yourself in and stop getting all bunged up about crap you have no control over.

"Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other."

Here's the thing, workplace politics is going to be a total bitch for you unless you learn to adapt to the situations you find yourself in and stop getting all bunged up about crap you have no control over.

That's a good point.

Do you have any ideas what you want to do? Have you thought about the things you might be able to do as a small business owner and/or sole proprietor? It's not easy dealing with co-workers or customers but perhaps if you only have one of them to deal with?

Optional likely means an opt-out procedure, rather than the current opt-in implementation. This would have the effect of forcing doctors to ask about it every time, changing it from state mandated penetration to state mandated harassment.

I want to work with GIS, or in others words, make and work with maps. I get a great sense of enjoyment out of doing that (Not that kind).

As someone who has done GIS, you're probably going to have to deal with people. GIS work typically means working with other agencies or labs or corporations on a continuous basis, even as an independent contractor.

I wonder if those same Conservative Republicans that kicked and screamed about Obama's so called "death panels" that never existed are at all concerned about their Republican colleagues having become the embodiment of the panel itself. I seem to recall something about Palin and friends crying that the government had no business making medical decisions.

Yeah. She's a good candidate to starting taking handgun lessons and getting a CCW permit. It's unfortunate but that's the reality IMO especially in this crazed environment.

Unfortunately minors have very limited legal recourse in self defense. Federal law prohibits those under 21 from buying handguns and 18 from buying long guns. While they can be given by parents, laws are extremely strict. She could possibly legally own pepper spray depending on RI's laws.

Frankly, If I were her parents I'd just hire an armed bodyguard for her until she is legally old enough to CCW. There are just too many RWNJ's out there.

Yet another (alas) good reason for a liberal to be armed in modern America.

Also, most greek letter organizations have internal mechanisms for dealing with that sort of thing, almost always with a non-retaliatory clause. You should try contacting your regional whatever if you want it to change. Simply say that some of the members/officers have been using racial slurs, it isn't being dealt with, and you feel uncomfortable.

"The America I know and love is not one in which ............... will have to stand in front of ................."panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.
Health care by definition involves life and death decisions. Human rights and human dignity must be at the center of any health care discussion."

I wonder if those same Conservative Republicans that kicked and screamed about Obama's so called "death panels" that never existed are at all concerned about their Republican colleagues having become the embodiment of the panel itself. I seem to recall something about Palin and friends crying that the government had no business making medical decisions.

They're not concerned in the least. In their minds, this isn't them making decisions or imposing their will, it's them "fixing" what they view as "wrong" with America. They support "big government," they just disagree with us "liberals" on how the monster should act. They think it should be guided by their twisted views on what is "moral" and what isn't, rather than equality or freedom under the law.

Or, in short, all their talk about how liberals support big government because they think they know better than other people is projection that would rival an IMAX theater.

They're not concerned in the least. In their minds, this isn't them making decisions or imposing their will, it's them "fixing" what they view as "wrong" with America. They support "big government," they just disagree with us "liberals" on how the monster should act. They think it should be guided by their twisted views on what is "moral" and what isn't, rather than equality or freedom under the law.

Or, in short, all their talk about how liberals support big government because they think they know better than other people is projection that would rival an IMAX theater.

I agree totally. Which I think is why they will have a hard time in a general election trying to paint themselves as small government conservatives. I think Obama will be able to expose them completely as ideological bullies no less prone to government intervention, simply government intervention to impose a state religion.

Unfortunately minors have very limited legal recourse in self defense. Federal law prohibits those under 21 from buying handguns and 18 from buying long guns. While they can be given by parents, laws are extremely strict. She could possibly legally own pepper spray depending on RI's laws.

Frankly, If I were her parents I'd have hire an armed bodyguard for her until she is legally old enough to CCW. There are just too many RWNJ's out there.

Yet another (alas) good reason for a liberal to be armed in modern America.

RI doesn't have restrictions on percussion cap black powder handguns. She could buy a reproduction revolver.

I agree totally. Which I think is why they will have a hard time in a general election trying to paint themselves as small government conservatives. I think Obama will be able to expose them completely as ideological bullies no less prone to government intervention, simply government intervention to impose a state religion.

Thing is, in recent years, they've started to work towards arguing that secularism is, itself, a religion. These dipshits are trying to convince anyone who will listen that the government saying that no religion will be given special privileges is itself an attempt to impose a "religion" upon the American people. That saying that America is a secular nation, rather than a Christian/Catholic/Protestant one is "respecting an establishment of religion."

"The America I know and love is not one in which ... will have to stand in front of ..."panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.
Health care by definition involves life and death decisions. Human rights and human dignity must be at the center of any health care discussion."

Sarah Palin, August 7, 2009

Perhaps it was just the gotcha media putting words into her mouth.

palin and other republicans don't speak these days so much as extract foot

All I heard today on the drive home is Santorum and Romney painting President Obama as anti-religion.

This is their theme, and they are sticking to it. I'm sure their surveys showed the Muslim Matter still resonates with the idjits.

Really, 2012 GOP? You assholes.

Article Six of the United States Constitution establishes the Constitution and the laws and treaties of the United States made in accordance with it as the supreme law of the land, forbids a religious test as a requirement for holding a governmental position

Assholes and propaganda preying on the weak American voter! Cause, that's all they've got.

Kicking us off today is an old favorite, Princess Dumbass Of The Northwoods, who favored us with a President's Day message on YouTube that has been interpreted as her ever-coy announcement that she's willing to accept a draft at a brokered convention in Tampa, provided it comes with a car and a driver, and a clothing allowance, and 229 days paid vacation, and that she'll be glad to accept just as soon as they pry the Republican National Committee (and Todd) out of the Mons Venus in time to start the convention....

I was just watching Mick and Jeff Beck. Plus looking at #ProblematicVaginas currently trending. Plus reading a story about some guy with a gun up his bum #HappinessIsAWarmGun bang bang shoot shoot

Should humanity stave off extinction for the next 1000 years, and this comment is somehow uncovered by digital archeologists around that time, the efforts at scholarly analysis and interpretation would be epic.

Umm everything I know about the legal system I learned from playing Phoenix Wright, could I have the cliff notes /highlights /why it is important to this case version from some legal minded lizard while I try and muddle through the wikipedia version?

Subdivision (b) is the heart of the discovery rule, and defines what is discoverable and what is limited. Anything that is relevant is available for the other party to request, as long as it is not privileged or otherwise protected. Under &sect1, relevance is defined as anything more or less likely to prove a fact that affects the outcome of the claim. It does not have to be admissible in court as long as it could reasonably lead to admissible evidence.

Umm everything I know about the legal system I learned from playing Phoenix Wright, could I have the cliff notes /highlights /why it is important to this case version from some legal minded lizard while I try and muddle through the wikipedia version?

It means Andy's about to have every dark secret spread out on the front lawn for all to see.

Should humanity stave off extinction for the next 1000 years, and this comment is somehow uncovered by digital archeologists around that time, the efforts at scholarly analysis and interpretation would be epic.

Which is no doubt partially due to donors becoming unsure that he can seal the deal and win the nomination, let alone the presidency.

The real problem is Romney has mostly been financed by big money donors, who've already reached their annual donation limit. Romney isn't making any real money off the regular folks the way the other candidates have been.

The real problem is Romney has mostly been financed by big money donors, who've already reached their annual donation limit. Romney isn't making any real money off the regular folks the way the other candidates have been.

So he's burned through most of his warchest already and still getting his ass handed to him? The Great Romney Deathstar is running out of juice?

After controversial remarks by one Republican lawmaker attacking Girl Scouts as a radical group that supports abortion, House Speaker Brian Bosma made his feelings clear Tuesday, one Thin Mint cookie at a time.

Bosma, R-Indianapolis, pointedly offered Girl Scout cookies throughout the day and munched them as he presided over the House.

It was a snack prompted by State Rep. Bob Morris, a Fort Wayne Republican who recently sent an email to fellow GOP lawmakers explaining why he had been the lone lawmaker opposing a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.
......
Morris tried to quell the controversy by telling reporters the legislature has "other issues we need to move on to . . . so we can do the people's work."

Bosma clearly felt the same, but also clearly wanted people to know he didn't share Morris' views.

At one point Tuesday, he told House colleagues he had "purchased 278 cases of Girl Scout cookies in the last 48 hours."

As you can see, Romney is the clear anomaly by a long shot, raising nearly 90 percent of his total haul from larger contributions. By contrast, only around 40% of Obama’s donations are from individuals who have given more than $200 total and his smaller contributors alone raised more money in total than Romney’s entire fundraising operation. For the rest of the Republican field, the ratio is somewhere closer to 50-50 — take a look at the total small donor cash for Gingrich and Paul, for example, and you see that their huge disadvantage versus Romney is almost entirely due to the frontrunner’s bigger contributors.

“What it shows is that [Romney] does not have a broad base of support among small donors, who are motivated to give small amounts to the campaign,” campaign finance expert and UC-Irvine professor Richard Hasen told TPM.

But the real worry for Romney is maxed out donors, who have given the $2,500 limit to his primary run and can no longer legally contribute. The chart below shows what percentage of each candidate’s total cash as of the start of 2012 came from top dollar donations.

Once again, Romney stands out big time, with 67% of his overall money derived from max donors. And after turning in a weaker than expected $6.5 million haul for January while burning through $18.8 million in expenses, wealthy backers tapping out may be a real problem. Hillary Clinton experienced similar troubles right around the same time in her presidential run, forcing her to donate $5 million of her own money in February 2008. At the start of that year, 56% of Clinton’s campaign donations came from max contributors vs. 40% for President Obama, who was running rings around her with under-$200 donors.

The U.N. agency says Iran rejected the team's request to inspect the Parchin complex near Tehran, suspected of housing a secret underground nuclear facility. It says Iran denied a similar request when the IAEA team visited in late January. The IAEA also says it reached no agreement with Iran on a document to clarify unresolved issues including "possible military dimensions" to the Iranian nuclear program.

At the same time, the SuperPACs are not to be ignored, as they're what's keeping Newt's "campaign" afloat right now. But you're right, Willard's own ability to convince voters to send him money to fight the general with seems to be totally lacking. He might as well wear a hat saying "Mr. 1%."

Good for him. Anyone who's deranged enough to think the Girl Scouts are evil should be forced to watch all their colleagues snacking on Girl Scout cookies all day, knowing that they're the odd person out.

This is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.

Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.

When Pages first went live it completely changed our blogging experience here. Who had never wished for a certain story to become a topic here? Then Charles kinda floated this idea about a favorite Pages kinda entry. That was a ...

So this gentleman in Cesena, Italy, really really wants the Foo Fighters to play there. So what does he do? He organizes an event of 1000 guitarists, bass players, drummers & singers all performing the Foo Fighter's hit, "Learn to ...

Thousands of people gathered in cities across the country on Saturday night to protest against the racist and homophobic attacks of the past few days. The demonstrations come in response to Thursday's mass stabbing attack at the Jerusalem Pride ...

CORAL DAVENPORT and GARDINER HARRISThe New York TimesAugust 1, 2015 WASHINGTON -- In the strongest action ever taken in the United States to combat climate change, President Barack Obama will unveil on Monday a set of environmental regulations devised ...

Saudi Arabia has reiterated its call on the international community to criminalize any act vilifying religious beliefs and symbols of faith as well as all kinds of discrimination based on religion. "We have made it clear that freedom of ...

Fewer than four hundred families are responsible for almost half the money raised in the 2016 presidential campaign, a concentration of political donors that is unprecedented in the modern era. The vast majority of the $388 million backing presidential ...

Over the course of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the number of civilian deaths has been staggering. In Afghanistan, more than 26,000 civilians are estimated to have died since the war began in 2001. In Iraq, conservative tallies ...

People who regularly read my byline will recall that back in April I wrote about poor Scott Walker making a huge gaffe just as it seemed like the Koch brothers, his presumed benefactors, were ready to go all-in on ...

More: abortion-funding-restrictions.pdf Each year Congress passes a set of 12 appropriations bills, which collectively fund government programs from October 1 of one year to September 30 of the next. Anti-choice legislators have continually used these "must-pass" bills as vehicles ...

Just after Barack Obama's re-election in 2012, disappointed conservative thought leaders came together at the annual CPAC conference in Washington, D.C. to strategize. Demoralized but determined, they formed a plan to fight a "30-front war to fundamentally transform the ...

A man who became agitated about his next-door neighbor mowing her lawn at night shot her and then ran a push mower over her body, authorities said Friday. Newsnet5 reported on Wednesday that Linda Ciotto, 62, was shot in ...

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent Wednesday night at Duke University Law School, reflecting on the term that just ended and other major decisions during her tenure. As the New York Times reported, she talked about what she ...

So this showed up at my house today, it's an election mailer from one Jeffrey Guice who is running for re-election to the Mississippi State Senate. As you can see, it included an interesting detail... So basically he's taking pride ...

I was catching-up with Cracked articles. I found an obvious click-bait article, "4 Sexual Preferences That Only Recently Became Taboo": cracked.com Knowing that, I read it anyway. From there, I read a depressing article, "5 Ways College Screws Over Poor ...

So I downloaded the Win 10 ISO image today, and started the install. The first thing I come across is a screen asking what I want to keep, my apps, data, and program settings, my data and program settings, or ...

Dirct Link: Huffington Post Arabic - Kudos! Good to see this. The link takes you right there, but for us non arabic readers, a helpful translate panel comes right up. You who do read arabic can judge the content, ...

NYT -- More Edited PP Videos in the Pipeline The activist behind the videos, David Daleiden, has said he has enough covertly recorded footage for perhaps a dozen videos that he could release, one a week, for the next few ...

haaretz.com From the article: Swedish nationalists are planning a gay 'pride' march through Muslim-majority districts in the country's capital, according to media reports and a dedicated Facebook page. The march, called 'Pride J&auml;rva,' is scheduled to take place on July ...

Democratic presidential candidates should take heed. They need to come up with a way to speak to this issue. Otherwise, in an Obama-less election, part of the Obama coalition may not be motivated to show up. Obviously, you can be ...